Looking at Polls for 'Victory' in Iraq

Published: December 6, 2005

To the Editor:

When American belief emerged that World War II should be fought at any cost, it was not because Americans were convinced that success was guaranteed: in 1942, Hitler controlled most of Europe and parts of North Africa. Support for casualties grew because Americans were convinced that their security depended on defeating the Nazis.

So when the political scientist Peter D. Feaver and his colleague found that in 1999, support for casualties in a war against Iraq was high among the population, it was because Americans were convinced by the Clinton administration that if Saddam Hussein obtained W.M.D.'s, this would be a major threat to them.

The relevant question now is whether addressing the foremost threat to the United States -- international terrorism -- crucially depends upon defeating the insurgency in Iraq and creating a stable state there, assuming that is possible.